


Elsewhere

by goddessofoutcasts



Category: Journey into Mystery, Loki: Agent of Asgard, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies), Thor: Tales of Asgard
Genre: Asgard (Marvel), Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Good Laufey (Marvel), Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Kidnapping, Laufey's Good Parenting (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Loki and Thor Are Not Related, Marvel Jotunn Culture, Not Canon Compliant, Odin (Marvel)'s A+ Parenting, Odin's Bad Parenting (Marvel), Pre-Thor (2011)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26681143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddessofoutcasts/pseuds/goddessofoutcasts
Summary: The Norns’ thread of fate has a knot in it.Loki is raised on Jotunheim, a Jotun prince.While this interferes with Odin’s plans, it will not stop them.
Comments: 40
Kudos: 183





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> While you can probably tell just from my username that I’m a dedicated Loki fangirl, this is my first time actually posting one of my many, many fanfictions centered on him.
> 
> I have literally no idea what this AU is or why it’s in my mind, I just came up with it and decided to go for it. Leave me a comment telling me what you liked, what you didn’t like, how I can improve as a writer- any of that! Or, if you don’t want to leave a comment, go for a kudos instead. Or just read. All of that helps!
> 
> I also will be updating this, at the very least once a month. I can’t update this very fast, since I have a desperately hectic life. But I’ll try to get new chapters out as fast as possible.
> 
> This story is kinda a big crockpot full of whatever bits of canon I decided I liked. There’s some MCU Thor in here, a big helping of Journey into Mystery and Agent of Asgard because I am obsessed with both, even some of that animated Thor: Tales of Asgard movie. And a dash of mythology just to spice things up. And of course, nothing happens the way it does in canon. This is essentially me taking the characters and doing whatever the blasted heck my stupid brain feels like doing. Enjoy, I guess?
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: a little blood, some pain, childbirth in general, mentions of swearing but no actual curse words

* * *

_Even queens bleed._

That was the thought that came to Farbauti’s head as she realized exactly what was happening. The thought refused to leave even as she told the maids, and as they fussed about her, helping her onto the slab of ice that had been prepared, removing her fur robe and leaving her only in her oldest leather tunic.

When the pain started, the only things she could think of were curses. She forgot all about dignity, swearing with each new ripple of hurt, using the foulest words her pain-dulled mind could think of. 

The midwife, Hanla, clucked her tongue knowingly and sent one of the younger girls scurrying out of the room. “When she starts to curse her husband, it is time to fetch him,” she said. 

Farbauti lay her head back against the smooth ice, only to find Hanla’s finger shaking in her face. “No, my lady, no. You must be upright if this is to go right.” 

Farbauti glared at Hanla. “Norns help me, I will-“

“You will sit up,” Hanla interrupted. “I have seen many births, my lady. This will make it easier.”

Before Farbauti was able to think of a suitably foul curse for the midwife, Laufey crashed through the doors, sending several of the maids scurrying out of his way. “Farbauti! It is too early- they said it would not happen for two months yet!”

“Our child is an impatient one,” Farbauti answered, and then hurled another curse at everything that had led to this as the pain stabbed her once again. “Ymir’s beard, Hanla, has the child not come yet?”

“Not yet, my lady,” Hanla said, her kin-lines drawing together in a worried frown. “The Norns seem to wish the birth more difficult than most.”

Laufey chuckled. “I did not know my sweet wife was capable of swearing like a soldier.” 

Farbauti glared at him. “You try carrying a little one inside you, husband, and we shall see how foul your speech becomes- _eyes of the Ancestor,_ Hanla, get this child out of me!”

Hanla chuckled. “The child will come when it comes, my lady.” She turned to Laufey. “And you, my lord, had best take a seat.”

Laufey obeyed her without question, pulling a stool over near Farbauti’s bed and looking at her worriedly. Farbauti rolled her eyes. “Laufey, I will live. I am bearing a child, not fighting the entirety of Asgard.”

“It is our first,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand. “What if something goes wrong?” 

“Stop worrying,” Farbauti told her husband fondly. “It is only that the baby is early. I will- _Norns_!” 

She gripped Laufey’s hand as another ripple of pain, sharper than before, shot through her. “Hanla? What is happening?”

“It is nearly time, my lady,” Hanla replied. “The child has decided to begin moving, at last.” 

“I know,” Farbauti said through gritted teeth. “I can feel it.”

“What do you think, Hanla, will it be a son or a daughter?” Laufey asked. 

Hanla frowned. “From the way my lady carries, I would say that she will give Jotunheim a little prince. But given how still the baby is, it could as easily be a princess.”

“I would not care if it was a _cow_ ,” Farbauti gasped. “Whatever it is, make it come sooner.” 

Hanla’s worn fingers rubbed against her wrist. “The baby controls its coming, my lady. It will decide when it is ready to enter the world. However, since it has begun to move, it should not be too long now.” 

Hanla, however, was wrong. Farbauti slumped against the birthing bed for hours, exhausted, in pain, and swearing viciously. Laufey stayed by her side, holding her hand and murmuring words of comfort that were largely ignored. 

Deep in her mind, Farbauti had begun to worry. She had never before given birth, but she had seen it happen. It had always taken a long time, but never this long. She had realized that the baby was coming that morning, and the Jotunheim night was descending on the palace now. The handmaids were lighting lamps. 

Farbauti’s baby came at twilight, betwixt and between the light and the darkness. It brought a wave of pain like none of the rest. She had time for only one scream before her legs were suddenly wet and a sound like the mewing of a kitten filled the room. Then, Hanla was next to her, helping her lie down on the bed, bathing her brow. “It’s all right, my lady, it’s all right. It’s over.” 

As quick as she had come, Hanla whirled away. Farbauti heard her quieting the baby, saw her dry the little one off and peer over every inch of its tiny body. 

Laufey became suddenly solemn, moving from his stool to the bed and gripping Farbauti’s hand. It was Hanla’s duty to inspect the child for any weaknesses or defects, and then to give it to the king for acceptance. 

Hanla finished examining the baby and wrapped it in a tiny robe of white wolfskin. Farbauti held her breath as the midwife approached them and bowed from the waist. “My lord,” she said formally, “your lady has given Jotunheim a son.”

Laufey held out his hands, and Hanla placed the child into them. Farbauti gasped. _Norns, he is small._ The baby barely filled Laufey’s palm.

A slow grin spread across her husband’s face. He quickly thrust the baby into her hands and let out a loud, joyful whoop, grinning like a youth. 

Farbauti shook her head at her overly excited husband and turned her attention to her son. “You’ve frightened him, Laufey.” The baby was whimpering again. Not quite crying, but making soft mewling sounds. 

“My lady?” Hanla prompted. “Do you accept the child?”

“What? Oh.” Farbauti had nearly forgotten the traditions. She studied the baby a moment. So small, but so perfect. Soft, downy black hair obscured his kin-lines, save for the curved, crown-like mark on his forehead. He was her shade of blue, a little lighter than his father. Slowly, she lifted him up and allowed the baby to nurse, the traditional way of declaring her acceptance of the child. 

Hanla sighed and dropped her formal demeanor. “You must be tired, my lady.” 

“Hmm?” Farbauti looked up, shaking her head. “Not at all. At least, not enough to fall asleep yet. He’s hungry.” She looked down at her child. It would be nine days before the official presentation of the baby, where Laufey would publicly accept him and give him a name. Until then, she would simply have to call him “he” or perhaps “baby.” 

Hanla made a scornful sound. “My lady, the little prince took nearly ten hours to make his way into the world. You are exhausted.”

“I will be all right,” Farbauti assured her, stroking the baby’s crow-black hair. “I want to let him eat.” 

Hanla shrugged and set about cleaning up the room. The maids that had scurried around to help her began making their way out, and the birthing room began to quiet down. 

Laufey sighed and slipped onto the bed with Farbauti, watching the baby nurse. “What should we name him?” he asked. 

“It’ll be up to you, ultimately,” Farbauti answered. 

“Yes, but I don’t want to risk my wife poisoning my wine because of a bad name,” Laufey joked. 

Farbauti snorted. “There aren’t that many names I would not grow to like, eventually.”

Laufey ran a hand over his chin. “What about Ylvyngr?” 

Farbauti whipped her head around and stared at him. “Are you mad?”

“I have an uncle named Ylvyngr,” Laufey protested.

“Well, you’re not going to have a son named Ylvyngr.”

Her husband laughed. “I’m joking, Farbauti. I would never name our son without discussing it with you first.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder. “I know.” 

They stayed like that for a long time, long after the baby stopped nursing and fell asleep against Farbauti’s shoulder. Eventually, Laufey stood up and stretched. “Well, I am sure Hanla wants to bundle you into bed, so I shall take my leave.” He stroked the side of her face. “I shall not enjoy the next three days without your company, my sweet.” 

“Oh, come off it, Your Majesty,” Hanla huffed before Farbauti could answer. “You know as well as I that any woman with a newborn babe must isolate herself to prevent disease. I have heard the poor Aesir women stay secluded for a week.”

“They do not have such strong spirits as my Farbauti,” Laufey answered, leaning down and planting a kiss on Farbauti’s cheek and stroking the baby’s. “I bid you goodnight, Farbauti. And to you, Midwife.”

The door shut behind him.

Hanla sighed. “Come, my lady. We must get you cleaned off. And then you and the little prince must sleep. It has been a long day for you both.”

* * *

Nine days later, Farbauti stood at her door, dressed in a white leather tunic and white wolfskin wrap about her waist. Her ice crown rested on her forehead, and her maid had traced her kin-lines in white paint.

She peered down at her little son, resting in her arms, his bright red eyes looking curiously up at her. The baby, too, was wrapped in a white wolfskin robe. 

Farbauti leaned down and nuzzled him, drawing a laugh from the baby. “Let us see what your people think of you,” she whispered, and opened the door. 

Laufey met her with a wide smile. “You look wonderful, Farbauti!” He had dressed similarly to her, of course, as the presentation of a child required white clothes. Laufey was bare-chested, with a white leather wrap around his hips and his own wolfskin tossed over a shoulder, his kin-lines painted white and a dagger slung at his side.

“As do you, Laufey,” Farbauti replied, kissing him on the cheek. “You have chosen a name from our favorites?” 

Laufey nodded, his sharp teeth showing in a grin. “Of course, there would be nothing to stop me from naming the little one Ylvyngr...” He laughed as Farbauti smacked him in the shoulder. “Merely jesting, wife. I have chosen a splendid name, a meaningful name.” 

Farbauti returned his smile. “I cannot wait to hear it.”

Laufey slipped his hand over her own, and they walked out of the main palace door. 

Farbauti was momentarily deafened by the cheering and roaring of the massive crowd of Jotunn who had gathered in front of the palace. Both men and women alike stamped their feet and shouted in joy as the royal family appeared, loud and boisterous and happy. 

Laufey let it go on as long as the people chose, grinning. Finally, when the noise died down, he raised a hand and stepped forward. 

“Nine days ago, my wife Farbauti bore her first child,” he announced loudly, and waited for the new surge of shouts to fade. “People of Jotunheim, Queen Farbauti has given you a prince!”

If Farbauti had thought the cheers were deafening when they first stepped out, the shouts that followed Laufey’s declaration were earth-shattering. The Jotunn roared, stamped their feet, clapped their hands, and jangled any jewelry they were wearing. 

The captain of the guard, a short woman named Sorri, stepped forward, bowing to Laufey and Farbauti. She reached out, and Farbauti laid the baby prince in her arms. 

Sorri bowed again and turned to Laufey. “Your Majesty,” she said, holding out the baby, “do you accept this child as your son?” 

Laufey tilted his head and swept his gaze over the baby. Slowly, he picked up his dagger. 

Farbauti watched as her husband drew the blade across his wrist. He caught the deep purple-black blood on his thumb.

Laufey reached out and traced the curved crown-like mark on the child’s forehead with his blood. Softly, reverently, he whispered, “I name you my blood and the Ancestor’s. I name you part of Jotunheim, from now until your last breath. I name you my son.” 

He took the baby from Sorri’s arms and held him so the crowd could see. As loudly as he could, Laufey shouted, “I name you Loki, for you will knot all the clans of Jotunheim together as one!” 

Farbauti could not keep the smile from her face or the tears from falling down her cheeks. A servant brought a little bowl of white paint, and she and Laufey together traced Loki’s kin-lines in white, save for the curved mark of blood on his head. 

_Loki_. It had been her favorite name, out of the ones they had decided on together. She loved how simple, yet meaningful it was. Laufey placed him in her arms, and she ran her hand over his hair.

_Welcome to Jotunheim, my sweet Loki,_ she whispered.

* * *

_Elsewhere, the Norns lifted their hooded heads and gave one another sly smiles._


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a much faster update than what’s usually gonna happen, but I had some time on my hands and decided to knock out another chapter. 
> 
> I forgot to say this when I first posted this chapter, but Farbauti’s lullaby was written with a tune in mind! If you want to listen, just search “Lady Frost’s Lullaby” on YouTube- rights are NOT mine, I just used the tune to write the song.
> 
> Enjoy! Leave a comment or kudos, or just let me see your hit on my story- all of it is encouraging!
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: mentions of drinking.

_Sleep, my little one_

_The white winds say_

_Drift off into dreams_

_The one-eye has gone far away._

_Cunning and cruel, he waits_

_To find you all alone_

_So he can snatch you up_

_And take you from your wintry home_

_He’ll steal you from your bed_

_And he will make you go_

_To his far realm of gold_

_Where you’ll never again see the snow_

Farbauti sang softly, pushing Loki’s cradle-box to set it gently swaying. “The One-Eye” was an old lullaby, supposedly penned by a prophet in the early days of Jotunheim. Farbauti had heard it from her mother, and now she sang it to her own baby. 

_Sleep, my little one_

_The white winds say_

_Drift off into dreams_

_The one-eye has gone far away_

_He’ll keep you locked up tight_

_In a bright cage of gold_

_For his people have no hearts_

_To weep for a child of the cold_

_But Mother has her sword_

_And Father has his spear_

_To chase the one-eye off_

_And he won’t ever know you are here_

_Sleep, my little one_

_The white winds say_

_Drift off into dreams_

_The one-eye has gone far away_

_Sleep, my little one_

_The white winds say_

_Drift off into dreams_

_The one-eye has gone far away_

Farbauti finished her song and peered into the swinging cradle-box. Loki lay fast asleep, wrapped in his wolfskin robe and tucked in with an icicle to keep him cold and comfortable. She smiled at the sight.

“Was that “The One-Eye” I heard just then? Rather a frightening song to sing our Loki to sleep, don’t you think?”

Farbauti turned to see Laufey setting aside his crown and kicking snow from his feet. “How was the hunt, husband?” she asked, gesturing for him to keep his voice down. She reached out and swung the cradle-box again. 

Laufey grinned, his massive war club thudding down in the corner. “We have brought back a fine ice-bear for the feast tonight. I shall make sure the cooks prepare it perfectly.” He threw his wolfskin robe in the same direction as his war club. 

Farbauti crossed the room and laid a kiss on his cheek. “Loki shall have his first taste of meat tonight,” she said happily. “It seems hard to believe he is already a half-year old.” 

Laufey’s eyes were soft and kind. He crossed the room to the cradle-box, running one of his large hands over Loki’s head and humming a few notes of “The One-Eye.”

Farbauti groaned as the baby’s eyes popped open. “I just got him to sleep,” she mourned, opening her jewelry chest.

Laufey laughed. “Don’t worry, love. We would have had to wake him for the feast soon anyway.” He picked up Loki, smiling as the little prince cooed and reached for him. “Farbauti?”

“Mmm?” Farbauti turned to him from where she had been looking through her collection of jewelry. 

“Should we be concerned that he has yet to speak?” Laufey put Loki on his shoulders, and the baby giggled, leaning backwards and hanging upside down. 

Farbauti shook her head, sliding a gold bracelet onto her wrist and picking up a beaded necklace. “I had the mages look him over at his third month. They say he is merely reluctant to speak, and there should be nothing preventing it once he chooses to break his silence.”

“Ah, a stubborn little thing you are,” Laufey rumbled to the baby. “Slow to be born and slow to speak.” 

“Oh, and Laufey?” Farbauti said casually. She had intended to wait to tell him what else the mages had discovered until Loki’s first birthday, but now seemed just too good a moment for the mischievous young queen to pass up. “The mages did say one other thing.”

“What?” Laufey asked, plucking Loki from his shoulders and cradling the baby in his arms. 

“They say he has more _seidr_ than any they have yet seen- perhaps second only to the Ancestor himself.”

The next second, Farbauti had to make an undignified dive for Loki as a shocked Laufey dropped him. “ _Seidr_ to rival Ymir? Our Loki? Praise the Norns!” He stopped, folding his arms over his chest. “And why did you not tell me this for three months?”

Farbauti knew her husband well enough to know that the indignation in his voice was not true anger. She laughed, setting Loki back into his cradle-box. “I was going to wait another nine, until his first birthday. But I decided you should know.” 

“ _Seidr_ ,” Laufey muttered, looking delighted. “Well, that explains why he is so small, and so slow to speak- there is magic running through his veins in the stead of blood.”

Farbauti shrugged. “Not quite. He does have blood still- only the Ancestor’s veins have ever run with pure magic. Not even the Allfather in Asgard can claim that, as much as he might try. But the mages tested Loki’s blood- there is _seidr_ in it. No doubt he has learned the language of his own magic before ours.”

Without warning, Laufey picked her up and spun her around, laughing. “ _Seidr_! Jotunheim shall have a mage-king!”

“That is, if you do not drop our child again,” Farbauti teased. 

Laufey roared with laughter, setting baby Loki laughing, too. “I will endeavor to be more careful with him, love. But he is Jotun, after all- he is strong, though small. Doubtless he would survive a fall from my arms.”

“Yes, but would his wits?” Farbauti countered. 

Laufey raised his hands. “I surrender, I surrender. Come, wife, let us get ready for the feast.” 

They changed into feast-appropriate outfits- Farbauti in a leather dress trimmed with gold and green, and Laufey in a leather kilt and a bearskin cloak. “Here, turn, Farbauti,” he said, picking up a dark green binding-cloth. 

Farbauti smiled wide as her husband scooped up Loki and tied him securely on her back. “Such a small weight for a giant,” she murmured, reaching behind her and patting the baby’s tiny head. “You shall have your fill of excitement tonight, hmm?” 

“As shall we,” Laufey answered. “I have heard that the Snowfox clan is bringing some of their best and strongest ale to commemorate the prince’s first taste of meat.” He licked his lips happily, showing a sharp tooth. 

Farbauti shook her head, chuckling. “You are fond of your ale, Laufey.”

“When it comes to the Snowfox clan’s ale, I could drink a keg by myself,” her husband said. “I pity the Aesir and their sweet, honeyed mead. Give me good, bitter frostfruit wine any day!” 

“Just do not become so drunk that you lose your wits,” Farbauti cautioned, setting her crown on her head. 

Laufey snorted. “Farbauti, what do you take me for?”  


* * *

The hall was crowded with Jotunn from all the clans, laughing, talking, and drinking. Everyone was smiling wide, from the guests to the servers. The prize ice-bear sat proud in the center table, uncarved. 

As Laufey and Farbauti stepped into the hall, a loud shout went up. “The King! The Queen!” 

The Jotunn roared with excitement, pounding their cups on the tables and stamping their feet. 

“Hold!” the Snowfox clan leader bellowed, and everyone went quiet. Slowly, the man filled a drinking-horn with ale. “The King, the Queen...” He raised the horn solemnly. “The Prince!” 

The Jotunn went wild as the Snowfox leader took a long sip from his ale horn. Grinning, Laufey led Farbauti to the center table. 

Farbauti untied Loki, keeping the binding-cloth wrapped around him, and held him in her arms. Laufey took the waiting knife and began slicing the bear to loud cheers. 

A soft smile lit Farbauti’s face. She loved Jotun feasts and festivals- they were boisterous and joyful and loud in a way that meant everyone was truly enjoying themselves. There was to be dancing later, the type of wild, fast dancing she liked the most. She loved being whirled from her husband to various other partners and back again. 

Loki fussed in her arms, squirming. “Too hot?” she asked him, forming an icicle on the end of her arm and tucking it in with him. He quieted down immediately. 

Laufey reappeared at her side with a plate of roast bear. “See how he likes it,” he said. “Roasted to perfection.” 

Farbauti cut off a tiny bite and chewed it until it was soft, then gave it to Loki. The baby took it eagerly and whined for more. 

Laufey’s deep laugh rang around the room. “His first taste of meat is a success, eh? I believe you know how I shall celebrate this.” 

Farbauti rolled her eyes fondly. “The ale is over there,” she said, gesturing toward the big stone kegs lined up along one wall. Laufey seized his drinking-horn and headed towards them, stopping to talk and clap people on the back as he went. 

Farbauti turned her attention back to Loki. She knew he would still want to nurse for a while yet, but now that he had accepted meat, she could start weaning him. She tied his binding-cloth again, but held him against her chest this time so he could watch the feast and she could feed him.

Laufey came back soon enough, gripping a horn sloshing with ale. He tipped it back and drained half of it in one go.

“You’ll be drunk before the night’s out,” Farbauti warned him.

Laufey laughed. “It would take more than one or two horns of even this strong ale to make me drunk, Farbauti. Besides, I will be sure not to drink too much before the dancing. I know how you look forward to it.” 

“I must find someone to watch Loki while we dance,” Farbauti said. 

“No need,” Laufey assured her, finishing off his ale. “Fenja has offered her services as his nursemaid. She is here tonight- I will ask her to take him.”

Farbauti smiled, relieved. Fenja was one of her most trusted maids, the daughter of an old friend from a different clan. She couldn’t ask for a better nursemaid for Loki.

The dancing began soon after, and Farbauti transferred Loki to Fenja, a pretty young Jotun with gentle eyes. Laufey, true to his word, had not had more than two horns of ale and was more than willing to dance with his queen.

The musicians struck up their first song, the typical, fast-paced music of Jotunheim, filled with chanting and drums. Farbauti was passed from partner to partner and back again, laughing all the while. She stomped her feet and clapped her hands and chanted along with the musicians and most of the crowd. Even those who did not dance joined in the noise and laughter. This was a Jotunheim feast- loud and bold and happy, and Farbauti loved it. Her feet pounded as she danced, one moment arm in arm with some Jotun woman and the next dipped almost to the floor by a Jotun man. She always made her way back to Laufey, but true to most Jotun dances, they never had more than a few moments together before she was whisked away to another dancing partner.

She and Laufey danced for hours, until finally, breathless, they made their way back to the high table, stopping to collect Loki from Fenja, who went off to join the dancing herself. Farbauti collapsed into her seat with a sigh. “That was fun.” 

Laufey grinned, leaned down, and kissed her. “And now, my sweet,” he declared, “I shall proceed to drink as many more horns of ale as I am able, and if by chance I become thoroughly intoxicated, simply take off your crown and save yourself the embarrassment of being known as my wife.”

Farbauti threw back her head and laughed loudly. “Actually, husband, I think I will drink a horn myself before putting Loki to bed. Perhaps we shall both become the laughingstock of Jotunheim.” 

“I know my wife can hold her ale better than that,” Laufey protested. “No, Farbauti, it is only I who shall make a fool of myself. And do you know what?”

“What?”

Laufey grabbed both their horns and headed for the ale kegs, calling back over his shoulder, “I shall enjoy every minute!”


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! 
> 
> It’s been a little bit, but I got another chapter done! School has been kicking me in the teeth lately, so the next update probably won’t be for a bit, but I’ll get there eventually. 
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: mentions of death, battles, slavery, standard war talk

“Ari, Ari,” Loki chanted, gripping Farbauti’s leg tightly and trying to stand up. His shaky little legs held him up for a moment, and then collapsed, dumping the tiny prince onto his bottom. Loki didn’t seem to mind, looking up at Farbauti and giggling. “Ari!” 

“Yes, I see,” Farbauti said, rubbing Loki’s soft black hair. “You’re getting big and strong like Adi.”

Loki grinned at her. 

“He’s precious,” Lady Lorivla said, smiling at the baby. “You’ve done Jotunheim proud with that one.” 

Farbauti’s smile grew wider. “Thank you,” she said. “I already can’t remember life without him.” 

“Well, it’s been about fifty years,” remarked another one of the ladies, an elderly woman named Lett. “Are you planning to have another?”

Farbauti shook her head, pushing her sewing needle through a particularly stubborn bit of fur. “Perhaps when Loki’s a little older. But he’s quite a handful by himself.”

Lett pursed her lips. “Isn’t he at the age where he should be with his nursemaid? He does have one, does he not?”

_Norns, give me strength,_ Farbauti said under her breath. Aloud, she answered, “He does have one- Fenja’s turned out to be a better nursemaid than I ever thought possible. But I like having Loki with me as much as I can. I’ve heard awful tales that the women in Asgard leave their children almost entirely in the care of nurses and nannies, to the point where some young ones learn to call their nursemaids “Ari” instead of their mothers!”

Gasps and whispers ran around the room. Farbauti and several of the noblewomen had decided to meet in one of the rooms of the palace to sew and talk. Farbauti was working on making Loki’s white wolfskin robe a little bigger- when he was older, he would start wearing it the way adult Jotunn wore their robes, wrapped around like a cloak, thrown over a shoulder, or tied around their hips. But for now, the robe and its hood fully covered the little prince, making him look like a bit like a wolf cub himself. He was growing fast, although not quite as fast as most Jotun children, and Farbauti wanted to make sure he didn’t outgrow his robe. 

“Don’t they say “Mama” and “Papa” instead of “Ari” and “Adi” in Asgard?” Lady Lorivla questioned, frowning at the tunic she was embroidering. “Odd words.” 

Farbauti leaned down and scooped up Loki, setting the baby on her lap. “I’ve learned a bit of the Asgardian language,” she said. “Laufey and I are debating if we should teach Loki to speak it fluently.” 

Shocked gasps bounced from lady to lady. “Queen Farbauti, what goes on in that head of yours?” Lady Lett breathed. “Why in the Ancestor’s name would you teach your child to speak _Asgardian_?” 

Farbauti sighed and lay aside her work for a moment. “Laufey and I do not wish for Jotunheim to remain enemies with Asgard,” she said. “Ultimately, our goal is...peace, if I am being truly optimistic. But a cessation of hostilities, at the very least. Perhaps when he is king, Loki will need to travel to Asgard for business or diplomacy, or perhaps Asgardian dignitaries will begin to visit here. Either way, it will be better if he is able to speak the Asgardian language instead of relying on a translator.” 

Lady Lett scoffed. “Jotunheim is filled to the brim with warriors, Queen Farbauti. A few of the clans are even purely made up of warriors. Who will defend Jotunheim if we become friendly with Asgard?” 

“Well, we will still raid Midgard from time to time,” Farbauti replied, picking up her needle again. “And of course, Laufey and I do not trust Asgard, at least not yet. Our warriors will still be ready. In case Odin Allfather decides to try to stomp Jotunheim under his foot, his heel will be pricked with the spears of our fighters.” 

“I don’t trust Odin or his realm a bit,” spoke up Sonn, the youngest of the ladies there and known for her fierce spirit. “‘Allfather’, ugh. What a ridiculous name. If he is a father to Jotunheim, he is a blasted poor one.” 

“He has forgotten that the Ancestor was father to him and his race,” Lady Lorivla pointed out. “It is Ymir who should be given the title of Allfather, and not Odin and his like.” 

“Asgardians,” Lady Sonn spat. “Always taking what does not belong to them.”

Farbauti smiled sympathetically at the young noblewoman. Lady Sonn’s sweetheart had been killed in their last skirmish with Asgardian troops, and she had developed a hatred for Asgard and anything related to it. It was understandable, but Farbauti was of the opinion that hatred did not solve problems, rather created more of them.

“I believe Asgard is like an ice-bear,” she said. “Dangerous, certainly, and with a frightening appearance. It has claws, and teeth, and a loud roar. But if it is left alone, it will simply watch. It will not attack unless it is provoked.” 

“And what is Jotunheim?” Lady Lett asked. 

“Well, I do not see Jotunheim as any one creature,” Farbauti replied. She held up Loki’s wolfskin robe. “The clans of Jotunheim are wolves in a pack- separate animals, but in time of danger, they come together as one. Any hunter knows that a unified pack of wolves can take down an ice-bear, but an ice-bear who has been allowed to rampage wherever it likes can easily destroy a wolf pack. But, an ice-bear can also take down larger prey- and when it is finished, the wolf pack may come after and eat without having to fear the bear, and the bear has eaten its fill in peace. If the animals work together, they are both better off.”

Lady Sonn’s eyes were hard. “I must admit, Queen Farbauti, I do not like the image of Jotunheim as surviving on the scraps Asgard leaves behind.” Several of the other ladies nodded their assent. “I would rather see Jotunheim, while the ice-bear has grown fat and lazy, spring on it and destroy it before it has time to hurt the wolves,” Lady Sonn continued. 

“I see your point, Lady Sonn,” said Farbauti, “and I understand the reasoning behind it. But I think if the wolves were to try that, at least right now, that the bear would destroy them, for it is still stronger.” She held up the robe to Loki, checking to see if she had measured right. The baby giggled as she tickled his cheek with the edge of the soft wolfskin. 

With a little work, Farbauti was able to steer the conversation to a different topic, and soon she and the rest of the ladies were happily discussing their children or small relatives. Loki, meanwhile, curled up on the edge of Lady Sonn’s dress and promptly fell asleep. She didn’t seem to mind, leaning down every so often to stroke his head. She seemed more at peace now, Farbauti thought. But there was still something hard and cold in the young noblewoman’s eyes.

* * *

Farbauti took Loki outside later that day, letting the little prince practice standing up. His small size did not seem to impede his ability to move, and he was able to stand longer every day. He even took a few shaky steps while clinging to her strong hand. “You are getting so strong, Loki,” she praised him. “Soon enough I’ll be chasing you all over the palace.” 

Loki beamed up at her and flopped onto his back, rolling in a pile of snow and making happy purring sounds. His speech still needed work- so far, all he had learned to say was “Adi” and “Ari”, the Jotunn words for “father” and “mother.” Farbauti knew, however, that babies with magic often took longer to speak out loud, since they were constantly talking to the seidr inside of them. Loki would speak, when he was ready. 

For now, however, he expressed himself in other ways. He was a happy baby, most of the time, laughing and smiling. When he was upset, he cried, like all babies, and when he was excited, he purred and cooed like a young snowcat. Loki was rarely quiet, and Farbauti’s chambers were always ringing with his laughter. 

She took a seat on a nearby ice shelf and watched her son play, a fond smile dancing around her lips. She really couldn’t imagine what life would be like without this bright little soul in it. 

Farbauti leaned her head against the wall. Her thoughts, strangely, turned to Asgard once again. There were rumors, whispers that unnerved her. Asgard was planning to attack them soon...Odin Allfather had decreed that all Jotunn were to be killed...Midgard had joined with Asgard to destroy Jotunheim. Some were clearly lies, while others she half believed. There were a few that she thought could be true. 

_If Asgard attacks Jotunheim,_ she wondered, _what will happen to Loki? Surely the Allfather would not spare Laufey and I the blade, but would even he take the life of a babe?_

She doubted it. The Asgardians, to her knowledge, treasured children, since they lived so long that children were born perhaps only every thousand years. The Jotunn, while they lived about the same length, had many more children- it was not uncommon for a Jotun woman to bear five or more children each thousand years. Families were large and close on Jotunheim. The Asgardians cherished children, which was part of the reason a mother and her newborn were kept separate for an entire week. Farbauti doubted that even the Allfather would slay a Jotun child. 

_Then again, there are Asgardians that would not see Loki as a child._ Farbauti knew well the Asgardians’ views on her people- to some in Asgard, Jotunn were no better than animals. She did not know if this extended to the Allfather or not. 

And, of course, not all of the horror stories she heard of Asgard ended in death. Rumors abounded of the terrible things the Aesir sometimes did to their captives. Prisoners were often enslaved, and the Asgardian palace had a large dungeon beneath it that was never empty. The Allfather dealt harshly with his enemies. 

If it came down to it, Farbauti did not know which would be worse. _Knowing that my child is dead, or seeing him with a thrallring around his neck?_ She knew Laufey, proud and strong, with the blood of a thousand warriors in his veins, would die before he bent his knee to Asgard. So would most of Jotunheim. But if her son’s life were at stake? She honestly did not know which fate she would choose.

_Why am I thinking about this?_ she asked herself suddenly. _Asgard is not going to attack us, at least not yet. We are safe for now. Why am I thinking such dark thoughts?_

She stood up, brushing snow off her skirt, and scooped up Loki. “Come on, little one, it’s nearly time for bed,” she said, tapping the side of the baby’s nose. Loki squealed with laughter. 

Farbauti hummed “The One-Eye” as she prepared Loki for bed. The familiar tune calmed her and helped to banish the black thoughts she had found herself sinking into. Loki, too, seemed to love the old lullaby, sometimes making noises that sounded as if he were trying to sing along in a babyish way. Soon, however, he was blinking and yawning, and he made no fuss as Farbauti settled him into his cradle-box. “There you are, my little snowflake,” she murmured, tapping his forehead and sending a little dusting of snow over him. Loki sneezed, shook his head, and gave her a tired smile before tucking his head against the cradle-box’s soft fur lining and shutting his eyes. 

Farbauti smiled softly at him, and quietly sang the last few lines of “The One-Eye” as she blew out the candle and settled into her own bed next to Laufey. 

* * *

_Elsewhere, the Allfather adjusted his son’s grip on a toy hammer, smiling proudly._


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! 
> 
> Three weeks since the last chapter, wow. I may need to start updating a LITTLE faster, or people are gonna think I’ve abandoned this! 
> 
> I do have a question for you guys: I’m really enjoying worldbuilding Jotunheim and adding in all the fun little customs and traditions that bring a world to life, since we got slim to absolute zero on it in the Marvel universe, and what we did get seemed biased against the Frost Giants. At some point, for the plot, I’m going to have to move the story to Asgard, and I won’t be able to worldbuild nearly as much once I do that. Would you guys prefer I get to the plot and the heart of the story soon, or would you rather see some more worldbuilding first? It’s up to you!
> 
> Also, fun little nerd fact: I had Laufey compare Farbauti to a needle near the end of the chapter because in the mythology, Laufey (who is actually female and Loki’s mother, which is...odd and definitely not a mythology bit I wanted to keep) was also called Nál, which means “needle”, because she was so slender and beautiful and sharp. (What does sharp mean in that context? I have no idea.) Anyhoo, I tossed that in as a random little shoutout to Norse mythology. Enjoy.

Farbauti was dancing again. The wild steps of a Jotunn dance thudded hollowly on the icy floor of the palace. Her skirt swirled around her hips, and bracelets jingled on her arms. Farbauti smiled wide at her dancing partner, clutching hands with him as they stepped into a whirl, turning faster and faster until they both collapsed in a heap on the ground. 

Loki jumped up first, laughing. He took a shaky step and fell again, giggling the whole time. “Again! Again, Ari!” he cried. 

“All right, little one, let me catch my breath,” Farbauti said. She rested a hand on her chest and made an exaggerated puffing noise. “I’m not as young as I was.” 

Loki managed to stay on his feet, running over to her and climbing into her lap. “You’re not old,” he assured her. 

Farbauti laughed. “Well, I’m older than you.” 

“Most everyone is,” Loki replied, shrugging. He flopped across her lap like a baby seal. “I’m little.”

“Yes, but that’s because of your magic,” Farbauti said. Loki was right. He was small for a three-hundred-year-old Jotun. But the mages had assured her that it was fine. Constant speaking to magic used energy that would be used to fuel a child’s growth in normal circumstances. Most mages with anything more than the usual amount of _seidr_ were smaller than the average Jotun.

“When can I start _learning_ magic?” Loki popped up like a log in a waterfall, jumping up and down. “Can it be soon?” 

Farbauti smiled. “You cannot begin your training with the mages until you are older, bigger, and stronger,” she said. “Magic takes energy, and if you use too much, it could hurt you. But I have a little magic, too- just a little. If you’d like, we can go to the bedroom and I can teach you a few small things.”

“Yes!” Loki yelled.

They went to Farbauti’s chamber, hand in hand. Farbauti walked, while Loki’s movement could only be described as “bouncing.” Farbauti smiled and shook her head at her son.

While Loki was still shy and nearly silent around strangers and servants, there were three exceptions. First, there was Farbauti herself. They had a close bond, and she made it a point to spend some time with him every day. She had already started to teach him to read and write, and she had discovered that he was an unusually quick learner.

The second exception was Laufey. Her husband had become increasingly busy in recent decades. They saw him in the morning at breakfast, and again at supper, but it was not until night fell that Laufey truly set aside his crown and became nothing more than an ordinary Jotunn father, teasing and kissing Farbauti and tossing Loki around as if he were a toy. Those firelight evenings were the highlight of the small family’s day.

The third exception was Fenja. The young Jotun cared for Loki when Farbauti could not, and he had learned nearly as much from her as he had from his mother. She seemed to understand Loki’s nervousness around strangers. Farbauti had seen her multiple times at feasts and festivals, sitting beside Loki’s chair and sweetly refusing any young men who asked her for a dance- and there were many. Fenja was considered very beautiful, and paired with her gentle, kind manner, there were quite a few young Jotunn who desired her hand. Fenja, however, refused them all, staying by Loki’s side and spiriting him away when the noise and the chaos got too much for him to stand.

She met them now, in the hallway that led to the royal chamber. The royal family all lived in the same room- the three of them even shared the massive bed set into the wall. Fenja had proven a jack-of-all-trades, becoming some sort of housekeeper, teacher, and nursemaid rolled into one. She curtsied when she saw Farbauti and smiled at Loki.

“I’m going to learn _magic_!” Loki announced immediately.

Fenja’s eyes widened. “Magic? How exciting!” She gave Farbauti a questioning look, and when the queen confirmed the news with a nod, she bent down to Loki’s level. “I would not be surprised if you became the greatest mage Jotunheim has ever seen one day, little Prince Loki.”

Loki shook his head. “I can’t be the greatest mage,” he said seriously. “That was the Ancestor Ymir.”

Fenja smiled again, her sharp teeth flashing white. “You have been paying attention to your history!”

“I like history,” Loki said, bouncing on his heels. “It’s fun.”

Fenja laughed and straightened up, pushing her thick black braid over her shoulder. “Well, then, you shall be the second greatest mage Jotunheim has ever seen,” she said, reaching out to ruffle Loki’s hair. Farbauti smiled as she caught a glimpse of a little braid tucked behind Loki’s ear before it was hidden again. No doubt Fenja’s work- the young woman was capable of doing perhaps as many as twenty types of braids.

“Do you have _seidr_ , Fenja?” Loki asked.

Fenja nodded. “A drop, I think. Nearly all Jotunn do- that’s what allows us to create ice. But Jotun with gifts for magic, like you-“ she tapped Loki’s nose- “those are few and far between.”

Loki laughed, his eyes sparkling with happiness.

“All right, little one, bid Fenja farewell for now,” Farbauti said. “If I am to start teaching you, we must begin quickly.”

Fenja curtsied again and slipped down the hallway like a shadow. Loki waved after her and then turned his full attention to his mother.

They went into the big royal chamber hand in hand, and Farbauti shut the doors. The room had one window on the right side, but most of the light came from an alcove in the corner. This bit looked much like a fireplace, but was filled instead with a special sort of lichen that glowed with a blue light. The Jotunn feared fire like nothing else, and so they used this lichen in place of it. Farbauti thought it prettier, anyway.

She sat down on the ice-bearskin rug in front of the alcove, instructing Loki to sit down across from her. “Ready?” she asked.

Her son nodded, his eyes trained on her face.

“All right,” Farbauti said. “Take a deep breath, and let it out slowly.”

They did it together three times. “Now,” Farbauti instructed, “close your eyes. Try to listen to the magic inside you. Tell me when you can hear it.” She was basing her instructions off what she had heard the mages did, as she didn’t have enough magic to hear it speaking. All Jotunn could speak to their own drop or two of magic, but only some could hear the magic answering them in its own special way.

Loki’s eyes closed, and she thought for a moment he had fallen asleep. But then he stiffened. “I hear it, Ari,” he said. “I hear it.”

“Good,” Farbauti praised. “Now, beginners in magic cannot tell it to do something. It takes an advanced student to be able to perform any spell. For now, your magic must tell you what it wants to do, and you must follow it. What does it want to do?” She had already been thinking over an array of the easiest spells to teach her son. Now it was just a matter of which one his magic deemed him ready for.

Loki frowned, his eyes still closed. “It...it...it wants...” his frown deepened. “It wants me to change?”

Farbauti raised an eyebrow. _That_ was unusual. Most magic began with an element, typically water or air, since Jotunn were unable to wield the element of fire and earth was considered a more advanced skill. She ran through the list in her mind. _Change..._ very few beginner skills dealt with that. But she found one eventually.

“I’m going to teach you how to make a small illusion,” she said. It was the only type of illusion she had the _seidr_ for, so she was glad that she at least knew how to make one. “Pick something you want to make.”

Loki’s head tilted to the side as he thought. “A snowflake,” he announced finally. “Can I make a snowflake?”

_Thank the Norns, something simple._ Farbauti blew out a breath. “Yes, Loki. A snowflake is perfect.” She leaned forward and wrapped one of her hands around his, showing him how to flatten his palm. “This is where you will build your illusion,” she said. “I cannot instruct you here. Let your magic tell you what to do. Watch me if you need some help.”

She sat back and started work on her own construction. She was well-practiced and could form illusions quickly, but she chose to slow it down for Loki’s sake.

It soon appeared, however, that she need not have bothered.

Loki’s eyes popped open, and he stared at the snowflake shimmering in his hand. “I did it, Ari!”

“You did! And so quickly, too! Can you try to make another?”

Loki nodded eagerly, stared at his hand, and another snowflake appeared to join the first. Farbauti watched in delight. Loki had learned to make a simple illusion _much_ faster than she had. _His seidr is very strong,_ she thought. _He will be a very powerful mage when he is fully trained- I would wager my adi’s heirloom gold earring on it._

That was how Laufey found the two of them when he entered the room later that night- sitting on the floor, a pile of magic snowflakes gathered around them. He roared with laughter. “And what is this? A beautiful witch and a little wizard making magic in my bedchamber?”

“Laufey, you _know_ I am no witch,” Farbauti laughed, standing and kissing her husband. Laufey picked her up and set her on his arm, easily carrying her weight.

“Come here, little scamp,” he called to Loki.

The little boy jumped up and came running to his father, jumping on his back and clinging to his neck. Laufey pretended to stumble about, groaning comically. “You are both so heavy!” he moaned. “Loki, my son, you must weigh nearly as much as I! And Farbauti, my sweet, are you sure you are not going to give Loki a little sibling- _ow!_ ” He reached up to rub at his ear. “My wife has been possessed by a valkyrie.”

“Well, valkyries must be women whose husbands jest about their weight,” Farbauti teased.

Laufey threw his head back and laughed, stumbling to the bed and dumping them onto it, then laying down himself. “A jest was all it was, Farbauti. In truth, you are as slim as a needle.” He scooped up Loki in one big hand. “And you, Loki! By the Ancestor’s breath, you weigh as little as a cloudbird- _ow!_ Farbauti, what did I do this time?” He rubbed his other ear.

“Don’t swear in front of Loki,” she chided him.

Laufey sighed. “You of all people, Farbauti? Loki, you should have _heard_ the way she cursed when you were born. She swore on Ymir’s eyes, nostrils, tongue, and practically everything else.”

Farbauti rolled her eyes. Swearing on one of Ymir’s body parts was considered a curse, although not an irredeemable one. And all Jotunn- no matter which part of the Ancestor they chose to swear by- carefully avoided the parts that had allegedly given rise to the realms and the races. Swearing by Ymir’s flesh, bone, blood, hair, brains, skull, or brow were considered the worst curses a Jotun could ever say, and there were few who would dare say them. However, the rest of the Ancestor was considered acceptable, if a bit uncouth.

“Why did Ari swear so much, Adi?” Loki asked suddenly, looking troubled. “Did I hurt her?”

Farbauti and Laufey exchanged glances over his head. “Bringing a new life into the world will always be painful, my sweet,” Farbauti said. “A mother must suffer for a little if she is to have the joy of a child.”

“But,” Laufey added, “they say that she only feels the pain until the child is born. As soon as she lays eyes on her babe, it all goes away.”

Loki considered this for a moment. “Like magic!”

“Yes, snowflake,” Farbauti answered, laying down and resting her head on the smooth, cold pillow. “Like magic.”


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve neglected y’all for two months! Good grief! I’m so sorry, it was hectic trying to keep up with school and holiday stuff. I should be faster with updates from now on, though!
> 
> Before I let you guys dive into the next chapter, I wanted to let you know that I have a Tumblr for my Loki obsession now! I do have two other Tumblrs, but I try to keep my Loki fangirling hidden from my family, so I’ve never put anything on Tumblr about it. But first a fanfiction, now a Tumblr! If you want to say hi, it’s goddess-of-outcasts (since someone apparently has the name with no dashes.) 
> 
> Okay, I’ve held y’all up for too long already- the new chapter awaits!

Farbauti’s eyes drifted open, and she squinted at the dim light. Her eyes closed again, and she draped a corner of her fur over them to block the dull brightness. Laufey’s arm twitched where it was draped around her waist. Farbauti’s body had trained itself to sleep deeply, in order not to be jolted out of sleep by Laufey’s rumbling snores. Over time, she had learned to actually like the sound- it was like the deep purring of a great cat, welling up from somewhere inside her husband’s cavern of a chest. 

Her eyes opened again as she felt something climb over her leg, burrowing underneath Laufey’s arm. A slight smile crossed her face, and she rolled over, catching Loki in the act.

“What are you doing, my son?” she whispered. 

“I woke up,” Loki whispered back. “I’m too excited to sleep, but I didn’t want to wake you and Adi up. So I thought I’d sleep with you.”

Farbauti sighed. “Come on, then.” 

Loki squeezed between her and Laufey- the bed carved into the wall was big, but Laufey’s bulk took up most of it. Her husband could never be described as a slender man, all broad muscle and warrior’s strength. That was all right with Farbauti, who was slim to the Jotunn, but would not be considered so by the Aesir. The Jotunn did not mind being large- they were giants, after all. Most Jotunn were bigger than the Aesir in every way. Loki, still too small even at five hundred years, was the exception and not the rule.

_ Five hundred... _ Farbauti’s sleep-dulled mind caught up with her. She gave Loki a conspiratorial wink, reached over, and gave Laufey a shove. 

Laufey’s snore broke off with an undignified yelp as he tumbled off the bed, landing with a crash that shook the room. He leapt up, rubbing the narrow ridges that ran along the top of his head. “And what, may I ask, was the meaning of that?” he roared. 

Farbauti burst into laughter, and she felt Loki quivering with giggles beside her. “Husband,” Farbauti chided, leaning over the bed. “Surely you have not forgotten what day it is?” 

“A day for waking husbands by toppling them from their beds, perhaps?” Laufey grumbled. “You have given me a lump upon my head the size of a cloudbird’s egg, Farbauti!”

Loki’s small face turned from joyful to disappointed. 

At least until Laufey added, “And it is quite an unseemly lump to be viewed by all of Jotunheim when they celebrate the day of my son’s birth.” 

Instantly, Loki’s happy grin appeared again. He vaulted over the edge of the bed and flung himself into his father’s lap. “You remembered!” 

“Could I forget?” Laufey teased, sitting up as best he could with the smaller Jotun in his lap. “It is not every day that my only son becomes five hundred years old.”

Loki beamed. 

Farbauti sighed and slid off the bed, untangling the sleeping fur from around her waist. “We had best hurry,” she said to her husband and small son. “It’s not everyday clothes today- we must all look our very best.”

As if to emphasize Farbauti’s point, the door opened and Fenja appeared, bobbing her head respectfully when she saw the royal family. Her thick, inky black hair was freshly done in two narrow braids that started at the top of her forehead and trailed down her back. 

“See?” Farbauti said, nodding a greeting to Fenja. “She has taken pains to look her best.”

“Can Fenja braid my hair too, Ari?” Loki asked. 

“If she likes,” Farbauti answered, turning to her jewelry box and glancing over her stock of necklaces.

“I’d be honored, little prince,” Fenja answered. “I can do yours if you like, too, Your Majesty.”

Farbauti looked back over her shoulder, thinking that Fenja had been speaking to her. But the slight smirk on Fenja’s face betrayed her.

Laufey snorted. “Your sweet face belies a wit quicker than a snowcat’s pounce.” He reached up to rub his decidedly bald head, tossing a playful glare at Farbauti. “I shall decline your offer, however. My poor head has already received enough attention today.”

Farbauti rolled her eyes and turned her focus to her own appearance, pulling her hair over her shoulder and rapidly combing through it with her fingers. She stripped off her leather sleeping tunic and replaced it with a finer leather dress, made from white frost beast hide and dyed a pale purple. Her golden crown went atop her head, and she added a gold necklace made to resemble a traditional string of ice-bear’s teeth. The Jotunn wore fairly simple leather and fur clothing, but they were fond of gold ornaments. Farbauti and Fenja would both be wearing golden earrings, and even Laufey had broad gold arm-bands he wore on occasions like this. Loki was considered too young for jewelry, but she smiled a secret smile as she thought that today, he would receive his first. 

Farbauti flung a snowcat-fur shawl around her shoulders and turned to see her husband and son both nearly ready. Laufey, as usual, was bare-chested, a dagger tucked into the top of the bearskin wrap around his hips. Loki wore his wolfskin robe over his leather tunic- it was still large enough that the head of the wolfskin formed a hood, but when he wore it, he no longer looked quite so much like a little white wolf cub. His leather tunic, brand new for the occasion, was a bright, vivid red- the Jotunn prized red like no other color, and it was tradition that someone celebrating the day of their birth wore it, while everyone else avoided the color. It was a way of acknowledging that this was that person’s special day, by allowing them to be the only one to wear the unique color. Farbauti smiled fondly at Loki- he looked good in red, she thought. It brought out his eyes, as crimson as drops of blood. 

Fenja had braided the front lock of Loki’s thick, crow-black hair, and it swung over his left shoulder while the rest of his hair was combed back. It was long, not as long as Fenja’s, which reached to her shoulder blades, or Farbauti’s, which touched her hips. Loki’s hair dangled a little past the base of his neck. 

“Are we ready?” Farbauti asked. 

Laufey reached down and swung Loki onto his shoulders. “I say aye,” he boomed, pushing aside the heavy doors. “Come, lovely wife and sweet Fenja. We must be going.” 

The four of them trooped out of the palace and to the caves that served as stables. The palace was deserted- the vast majority of Jotunheim would be at the snow fields, ready for the huge celebration Farbauti and Laufey had planned together. Their entire kingdom would feast today. 

Laufey made a long, low, rumbly whistle, and his massive frost beast, Nerrom, cracked his icy coat that kept him protected while he slept, shaking off the ice in big chunks. Laufey had raised Nerrom from a cub- the frost beast stood as tall as six Jotunn, and was trained for battle. But around Laufey, he was as gentle as a baby snowcat. 

Laufey whistled again, two short ones this time, and Nerrom bent his huge, majestic head- which was itself bigger than Laufey- and allowed them to climb onto his back. Laufey went first, then Farbauti, and then Loki, and finally Fenja. The Jotunn used no reins or bridles- Laufey directed Nerrom’s smooth, bounding strides with whistles and clicks. 

It was a long journey on foot to the snow fields that stretched out beyond the Jotunn cave villages- the only place possibly large enough to accommodate such a massive crowd as they expected. But Nerrom was faster than even the Allfather’s famed Sleipnir, and it took them only a half hour to reach the fields. 

Laufey clicked his tongue twice, signaling Nerrom to lower his huge, majestic head so his passengers could slide down. Farbauti smiled as she watched her husband affectionately pat the colossal creature’s side. 

Loki’s eyes widened as he looked over the snow fields. The usually barren white expanse teemed with Jotunn, some setting up long tables, others preparing dishes on the rocks. The mages were roasting huge slabs of meat- while Jotunn could not wield fire, those who could use  _ seidr  _ had long ago learned to draw heat from life-energy, and they could cook using that. Jotunn, however, ate meat both roasted and raw, so not all of it would be cooked today. 

“It’s so big, Ari,” Loki breathed. “It’s so  _ big _ .”

Farbauti laughed and ruffled her son’s hair. “On Jotunheim, little one, big is ordinary.” 

Laufey came up behind them, wrapping one arm around Farbauti and the other around Loki. “See that dais, Loki?” Laufey said. “You’ll get your first taste of royalty today. That’s been set up for you.”

Loki looked a little nervous. “I have to go up there alone?” he answered. “In front of everybody?”

“Well, traditionally, the festival-lord may choose a lady,” Laufey told him, chuckling.

“Can it be Ari?” Loki said immediately. 

“Not this time, snowflake.” Farbauti drew him into a hug. “Laufey and I have duties on this day, too.” She looked past him. “However, I am sure Fenja would accompany you.”

“I would be honored,” Fenja said, curtsying. She and Loki went up to the dais and took their seats, Loki’s cheeks darkening to purple and his hair hiding most of his face as the Jotunn roared and clapped and stomped their feet.

Farbauti sighed and leaned against her husband. “I worry about him. He has no friends his own age- his days are spent with me or with you, among adults. He only plays with Fenja when we are both busy, which is not often. I worry our son is growing up too quickly.”

“Such is the way of those with great amounts of magic,” Laufey assured her. “However, you are right. I will ask Fenja to find some little playmates for Loki among the children in the palace- I am sure that at least some of the servants have young ones his age or close to it.” 

“The Asgardians would never allow a prince to play with the children of servants,” Farbauti said with a wry smile. 

“Jotunheim is not Asgard,” came Laufey’s answer. 

“And yet we plan to teach our son to speak Asgardian.” Farbauti took her husband’s hand. “I think sometimes I worry about too many things.” 

Laufey’s hand brushed over her hair. “I think my wife is perfect the way she is.” She looked up in time to catch his teasing grin. “It is the way of queens to worry for their kingdoms. And it is the duty of kings to ease those worries. Now, let us speak no more of Asgard and enjoy our Loki’s special day.”

Special hardly began to cover it. Loki looked more and more relaxed as the feast went on. By the time the Jotunn began presenting their gifts, he appeared as happy as he’d ever been, if still a little shy and uncertain. Farbauti and Laufey joined him on the dais after a while. “Enjoying yourself, little one?” Farbauti asked, ruffling her son’s hair. 

Loki held up a small bundle of fur with a pair of leather teardrops attached to each side. “Look what Ginji Sharpeyes and his wife gave me!” he said happily. “It’s a cloudbird! It has real claws, see?” 

“Well, isn’t that a cunning little thing?” Laufey said, taking the toy in his hand. Farbauti found Ginji and his wife in the crowd and smiled at them. They were simple folk, but even they had brought a gift for Loki. It was a welcome reminder that Jotunheim was a unified realm. Even the poorest managed to share what they had. 

Fenja had started to pile up Loki’s presents behind him quite some time ago- his lap had been heaped high within the first ten minutes. Every Jotun seemed to have brought something for him, and Farbauti filled with pride as she watched Loki’s reactions. He was thankful for everything, whether it was a fine new cloak from Sorri or a tiny stone carving from a villager. There was no trace of entitlement or haughtiness in her son.  _ You will make a good king some day, my Loki,  _ Farbauti thought, letting her gaze drift down to the next person in line to give Loki their gift. 

Her heart missed its beat and floundered for a second or two to catch up.

Lady Sonn was next, holding a small, curved dagger in a leather sheath. Farbauti tensed as Lady Sonn presented the weapon to Loki, the young woman’s eyes- still hard as rock and cold as ice- meeting hers. Farbauti answered her gaze by motioning for Lady Sonn to come to her, hurrying from the dais and slipping into a spot where they would not be overheard. 

“A dagger, Lady Sonn?” Farbauti asked. “Do you think that a wise gift for such a young child?” 

“In these times, Queen Farbauti?” Lady Sonn replied. “Even children must be ready for anything- and a prince most of all.”

Before Farbauti could say anything else, Lady Sonn dipped her head and vanished into the crowd, leaving Farbauti with a heart fluttering against her ribs like a bird in a cage.


	6. Update From The Author

Hello guys!

Wow, it’s been awhile. I didn’t mean to update that slowly.   
  


I don’t have another chapter of _Elsewhere_ ready yet, but I do have some very exciting news!

I’ve been writing a lot recently. For about a month, I’ve stopped forcing myself to write what I should and instead write what I feel inspired to, which is usually random things I’ll never publish. It’s been great for my mental health, but not that great for you guys, cause you’ve been sitting here wondering where the heck I disappeared to. So I have started writing what I need to update again, not just whatever my heart feels like writing.   
  
However, all that free writing ended up really helping me come into my own as a writer. I can do different writing styles now, which I’ve always struggled with, I can do humor, I can do pretty much anything, and while I may not be perfect, I can write reasonably well now, I think.   
  


So I wrote. A lot. And I came up with some new fic ideas that I’m going to be publishing in the weeks and months ahead. That does not mean I’ve abandoned _Elsewhere_! That was my first Loki fic, so it will always be priority (and I’m halfway done with the next chapter, so expect that within the week.) But I do have some new things, and I just couldn’t wait until I finished first chapters to share the basic ideas with you guys! Consider this sort of a teaser trailer. But for fanfiction.  
  


In no particular order:

\- Call Me An Outcast Thing

Like _Elsewhere_ , this one’s a mashup of different canon bits. Unlike _Elsewhere_ , it all takes place in a Victorian setting. Blame Tumblr. It’s their fault. When I let my mom read a portion of what I’ve written for it so far, she described it as “ _A Little Princess_ if Lemony Snicket wrote it” which isn’t all that accurate in the sense of the plot and characters, but is highly accurate in the sense of the writing style.

\- Angels

My darkest story to date, and leaning heavily to the whumpy side. Angels is going to be a pre-Avengers fic that will feature unhealthy amounts of Loki and Thanos and some Mysterious Other People, as well as my best shot at angst and a crap-ton of me projecting onto Loki. It’s basically an excuse for me to get really prosey and poetic and probably not make any sense while doing it. 

-Forget And Be Content

I don’t want to say too much about this one! It’s heavily based on one of my favorite movies, and I’m going to tackle the challenge of weaving song lyrics into the story (not like I did for the _Elsewhere_ lullaby, actually using the lyrics to tell the story in a way.)   
  


I haven’t got the faintest idea when any of these will be published. I don’t think it’ll be till after the next chapter of _Elsewhere_ is out, but with my brain? You never know. 

Speaking of _Elsewhere_ , the next chapter is going to start us off on getting to the main plot! I’d love to keep Loki happy and safe with Farbauti and Laufey and Fenja, but unfortunately Asgard has to ruin the fun at some point or another.   
  


Love you guys! I’ll update soon!


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been way too long! Sorry, guys, life caught up with me and stopped me from writing for a little while. 
> 
> As promised, we’re finally starting to get to the real plot of this story. It’s gonna take a few chapters to really get it going, but once it does...ooh, boy. 
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: discussions of death and violence, slightly graphic description of a body

Farbauti stroked Loki’s hair with one hand, deftly pushing her needle in and out of a piece of leather with the other. The sky looked as if it were going to be stormy later, so she and some of the ladies had crowded into their usual sewing room to chat and visit with each other while they worked. Not an hour after they had begun, Loki had slipped in, silent as a shadow, and sat down beside her. 

The talk was as dark as the sky. A young Jotun boy of about twice Loki’s age had vanished near Ymir’s temple- which held the Casket of Ancient Winters that allowed the Jotunn travel to other realms, should the need arise. Search parties had scoured the area nearby, but had found nothing. It was clear that the missing boy had accidentally traveled to some other realm. Which one, however, was the question of the hour.

“If he’s on Asgard, there’s no help for him.” Old Lady Lett clucked her tongue knowingly. “A Jotun’s as good as dead in the golden realm.”

“Not always,” Lady Sonn spoke up, a grim light in her eyes. “We can mount a rescue and be back before the Aesir know we were there.” Lady Sonn had begun taking lessons in fighting only ten or so years ago, and she had proven to be quite adept with a blade. Farbauti had seen the grieving, angry young woman channel her sorrow and rage into her sword and knives, and gradually Sonn had begun to heal from the loss of her love. Now that the prospect of a real enemy loomed on the horizon, Farbauti sensed that she would be one of the first to fight if it came to that. 

“There’s that gatekeeper,” Lett reminded them. “He would see and tell Odin, and the old butcher would be on our warriors before they could escape. Except if one of the mages went along, to veil the rescue party from his sight…”

“We can’t risk the mages like that,” Farbauti said. “There’s precious few of them, and they’re all the magic Jotunheim’s got besides ice and snow and frost.” She ruffled Loki’s hair again. 

Lady Lorivla suddenly buried her face in her hands. “I can’t stand it!” she wailed. “His poor mother! She must be mad with worry.” 

Lady Lett placed a comforting hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “They’ll find him, love. They’ll find him, you’ll see, and get him back to his mother safe and sound.” 

“That is, unless the Aesir find him first,” Lady Sonn cut in, a hint of the old bitterness in her voice. “If they don’t kill him right away, we all know how cruel they are to their captives, especially Jotunn ones.” 

“Lady Sonn, mind your company,” Farbauti said mildly, tipping her head towards her son. Loki’s dark head was bent over the pages of a book- a rarity on Jotunheim, but one of his greatest passions- but he was sharp as the ice-spikes some warriors used in battle. He missed not a word of any conversation in his hearing. She knew he had heard this, too. Loki was young still- not even past a thousand years. On Midgard, he would have been considered only eight. She did not want him knowing some of the darker parts of life just yet- Lady Sonn herself was an example of what happened when someone was exposed to darkness too young. 

Lady Sonn’s eyes dropped. “Sorry, my queen.”

“No harm done,” Farbauti assured her. “My ladies, did we not come here to escape the dour look of the sky outside? Let us change the topic to lighter things. Time enough for gloom if they discover a reason for it.”

Most of the ladies seemed glad enough to drop the subject, although Lady Lorivla still seemed upset and Lady Sonn still had something very close to the light of battle behind her eyes. The talk turned to the usual discussion among Farbauti and her ladies- babies and sweethearts and husbands. It was shallow conversation, with something dark just beneath it, but it was familiar territory, and they clung to it gamely.

“I tell you, Farbauti, you’ve laid claim to the best man on Jotunheim,” Lady Jaunley teased. 

“Your Nikeir’s handsome as a storm!” Lady Elfra protested. “My mother wants me to marry a fellow called Basom, and I would bet my best gown you’ve never seen such a great, ugly lout in all your life.”

Little Lady Kyp sighed. “I don’t want to get married,” she said. “I’d much rather live by myself.”

“Some days that’s all of us, sweet,” Lady Lorivla chuckled, and a ripple of laughter ran around the room. 

“My Aulojy took her first steps yesterday,” Lady Dau said happily. “My husband was so pleased he picked her up and tossed her near three times his height. The fearless little thing giggled every second of it.”

“Your daughter’s going to come to some mischief if you don’t find something she’s frightened of,” Lady Lett warned. 

Loki’s eyes lifted from his book. “What’s wrong with mischief?” he asked, cocking his head to one side. 

Farbauti laughed. “Nothing, snowflake. Nothing at all. Everyone needs a little mischief, sometimes.”

Loki smiled shyly, and then with a little  _ pop _ , he vanished, a small black cloudbird taking his place. The ladies shrieked in surprise and then burst into laughter and chatter. “He’s a clever little mage, Farbauti!” “Shapeshifting? At his age? My goodness!” “That’s some strong  _ seidr _ in the little prince’s veins!” “Has he begun his magic lessons yet?”

One voice came through the rest of the commotion, loud and long, bellowing Farbauti’s name. The ladies quieted, and Loki’s usual self appeared again, his smile melting into a concerned look.

It was Laufey doing the shouting, from downstairs. “Farbauti! Farbauti!” 

“What in the name-“ one lady said. “What’s happened?”

“I’m not sure,” Farbauti answered. “He sounds as if it were important. I’d best go see what’s the matter.” She turned to Loki. “Why don’t you go find Fenja, snowflake? See if she’ll try another sort of braid in your hair.”

Loki nodded, his eyes worried. Farbauti gave him a reassuring smile and then hurried downstairs. Her husband was waiting in the hall, pacing back and forth, dressed for a battle in leather and armor, his massive club clenched tightly in one hand. He looked up when she came into the room. “Farbauti!” Laufey seized her, wrapping her in a tight embrace. 

“What is it, love? What’s wrong?” Farbauti searched her husband’s face. Grief and anger surged behind his eyes.

“They found him,” he said. “The missing lad.”

Farbauti gasped. “Is he-“

“Dead,” Laufey answered harshly, his lip curling in rage. “Dead on Midgard. It seems a little village took him for some sort of devil and killed him.” 

Farbauti sighed. “Have his parents been told?”

“Yes.” Laufey’s fist clenched. “His clan has sworn revenge. There’s to be a blood-wine ritual late tonight. And I have decided to let them have their vengeance.” 

“Oh, Laufey, is it wise?” Farbauti whispered. 

“If it were Asgard, I would simply console the family.” Laufey shook his head. “But this is only Midgard, my sweet. There is little danger- these are mere mortals, and against even a small group of our warriors, they will fall.”

“You are going with them?”

“Yes. It is my duty to ensure that revenge is taken, but no more than that. Only the village responsible for the killing must be destroyed, and I will not have my people lay waste to anything beyond it. Will you join the blood-wine ritual this time, Farbauti? It has been a long time since we truly fought together.”

Farbauti sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She hated when things like this happened- she knew that vengeance was a core trait of Jotunheim. In her younger, fiercer days, she would have gone with Laufey, and done her share of the killing. But she was a mother now. She did not think she could bear to see even Midgardian children fall. She knew it was only just- the villagers had slain one of their children, after all. But she would not be able to watch it this time.

“I will stay behind,” she said at last. “I do not wish to leave Loki alone.”

“Are you sure, dear heart?” Laufey took her hand. “You are one of the fiercest women I know- your skill with the knife and the spear is almost unmatched. Fenja can look after Loki, if you wish to come.”

Farbauti shook her head. “I am a mother now, Laufey. I will always be your warrior bride, but our son is what is most important now. And if something should go wrong, it would be a foolish thing to have both the king and the queen on Midgard when it does.”

“You are right, Farbauti, as you so often are.” Laufey ran his hands over the ridges on his head. “Very well, then. I will return no later than a day or two hence. And, Farbauti- Loki does not need to know what I have gone to do, nor the cause for it. Let him keep his innocence a while longer. There will be time for bloodshed and war, but this is not it.”

Farbauti nodded. “I shall tell him that you have gone to visit with your friends,” she said. “And I shall entertain him so well that he will not even notice you have left.”

“Well, I should like him to at least notice my absence.” Laufey chuckled, a little of the rigidness bleeding out of his shoulders. 

Farbauti wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Be safe, Laufey,” she whispered. “I am not one of those queens who can rule alone.”

Laufey held her close, his big, cool hands pressed comfortingly against her back. “No fear, Farbauti, no fear. It is only Midgard. I can call the army down if there is any real trouble. But I do not expect that.” He brushed her hair back from her forehead. “I am a warrior and a king, Farbauti, but I am a husband and a father first. I will not leave you and Loki alone in this world. This I swear on Ymir’s corpse.” 

It was a solemn vow, one of the most solemn possible. The only ones more revered were the ones that had some sort of penalty if they were broken. 

“Only Midgard,” Farbauti whispered back. “Only Midgard. But, oh, Laufey, if the Aesir should take vengeance-“

“Against what?” Laufey replied. “True, Midgard is considered one of their territories, as Vanaheim is. But the Aesir care only for their own. If we were to try to lay claim to the planet, then we would have war, and Jotunheim is not ready for that. But this is only one village that must fall. The Aesir will overlook it.”

Farbauti understood. Revenge was a part of life on Jotunheim. If a Jotun was murdered, there was a blood-wine ritual, where a small party of warriors drank wine made with blood and swore their vows of vengeance, and then they went to seek out the murderer. In cases like these, where there were multiple killers and no way to tell which had dealt the fatal blow, the entire family was killed, or in Midgardian cases- which were few and far between- an entire village. It was a harsh custom, but Jotunheim was a harsh land.

“Will one of the boy’s family go with you?” she asked.

Laufey nodded. “I am told his mother shed no tears when she was told of her son’s death, merely took up her husband’s sword- he is ill, and cannot rise from his bed. I think she will use it well.”

Farbauti sighed. “Poor woman. At least she will have the chance to seek her revenge. That will be some comfort to her.”

“The boy’s body was so thoroughly ruined that it could not be brought back for burial,” Laufey told her. “Doubtless his mother will leave several Midgardians in the same condition.” He sighed. “The hour grows late, my sweet. I must be off for the ritual, and then to Midgard.” He picked up his club again, shouldering it. 

“Come back soon,” Farbauti said softly. Laufey leaned down and pressed another kiss to her lips.

And, with a kiss, he was gone. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Leave me a comment, kudos, or simply enjoy the story!


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